This year college stores might have a hard time getting on-time adoptions from faculty members. If adoptions come in late, how can your store get low-cost books you need in time for rush and minimize the amount of work required?
This year college stores might have a hard time getting on-time adoptions from faculty members. If adoptions come in late, how can your store get low-cost books you need in time for rush and minimize the amount of work required?
Topics: buyback, textbook buyback, campus store events
An in-person buyback makes it hard for college stores to ensure both student and employee safety, but the Delta College Bookstore at San Joaquin Delta College came up with an ingenious plan that not only ensured everyone’s health and safety, but also made quarantining books simple. We recently sat down with Michael Williams, Auxiliary Services Operations Supervisor, to discuss how their buyback and rental return was set up and what made it a success.
As COVID-19 is changing retail, campus stores are rearranging and remodeling their space to meet the current demands for health and safety. As college stores reopen, they must consider how students and customers can safely shop in the store and how the current environment has evolved customers’ retail expectations.
Since the end of March, college stores have had to make quick adjustments to meet the unprecedented demands created by COVID-19. As the San Joaquin Delta College campus responded to the pandemic, the Delta College Bookstore stepped up with a plan to safely offer students a centralized location to return and pick up materials.
Online customer communication is multifaceted. Emails and text messages, online ads, promo codes and social media all contribute to building a strong digital presence that strengthens your store brand and elevates service.
The importance of eCommerce for college stores has grown exponentially over the past several months. While making sure your eCommerce website it up to date and offers students the same products they can get in your store is important, it is also necessary to actively promote your site and work to engage students online. With excellent planning, your campus store can host online events with a strong return on investment and increase student engagement.
With more importance than ever before placed on online shopping, stores are doing what they can to improve customers’ eCommerce experience and better compete. College stores have fewer resources than large online competitors, but they have a greater ability to continue to offer customers a personal touch — even online. Today, we have five tips to engage the campus community from afar.
As summer rush approached, Hagerstown Community College Bookstore Manager Tammy Crockett knew there was a way the store could continue to serve students, keep them safe and give them convenient, one-stop shopping. By holding a drive-up rush event, the store could provide students with everything they might need to start a new term and save them shipping costs.
A strong mobile order fulfillment tool makes it easy for college stores to pick, fill and distribute orders. Online shopping or order pickup will continue to grow as retail evolves to meet customer demands. Your college store needs to be prepared to offer students and customers a seamless online shopping experience with quick and easy shipping or in-store pickup.
The University of Maryland Baltimore County Bookstore has curated a collection of creative events that entice student participation throughout the year. With fun games, giveaways, community-generating sidewalk sales and an incredible convenience shop with a diverse selection, every student can find something in the UMBC Bookstore that inspires them to come back. In February, we sat down with UMBC Bookstore Director Erin McGonigle to discuss how she inspires campus store foot traffic with bookstore events and marketing.
Contact our editorial team to set up an interview or to contribute a guest post.
Customer Service
800-325-0530
cserv@mbsbooks.com
Order Processing
800-325-0577
As MBS’ signature publication, Foreword Online is dedicated to offering daily industry insight and cutting-edge news that keep college retailers ahead of the curve. Follow us on social media. Contact us with ideas and feedback. Subscribe for regular updates.
© 2026 MBS. All rights reserved.